Apple Chief Jobs to Win Technical Grammy

Apple Computer chief executive Steve Jobs will be feted with a technical Grammy Award Wednesday night for the Cupertino-based company’s myriad contributions to the advancement of digital music technologies.

The award – the first given to a computer maker – lauds Apple’s innovation in user-friendly hardware and software that has catered to the creative industries, including music, publishing, graphic design and computer animation.

The original Macintosh computer, first sold in 1984, was the first PC to offer built-in audio. The company’s computers have since become standard equipment in most recording studios worldwide.

On the consumer side, Apple has recently drawn accolades for its iTunes music software and its sleek iPod portable digital audio player.